Upon the great city of Venetia, in the dining hall of Riverside Palace, now bathed in the golden rays of midday sun, a council of ten men in fine clothing sat patiently around a long rectangular olivewood table, waiting for the arrival of their great benefactor.
Crystal goblets shimmered. Silver plates remained untouched. No one dared to begin without her.
"Why is she late this time?" one man muttered under his breath.
"There is a rumor she has started courting a man, that baron guy, remember?" another replied quietly.
The first man blinked. "Poor fellow. Another target for practice?"
A third leaned closer. "I heard this time it is serious. She is sending him gold."
"Oh really? That is a big ne—"
He did not finish his sentence.
The giant doors bearing ornate carvings of a great sea serpent dragging a ship into the abyss slowly opened. Sunlight poured into the hall, cutting a bright line across the polished floor.
In the doorway stood the silhouette of a tall woman, framed by the darker hallway behind her. Bodyguards flanked her in disciplined silence.
"Apologies for being late," Valeria said in a calm, almost bored tone as she stepped forward. "Some of my clients forgot to repay their debts. With interest."
As she moved into the sunlight, her appearance became clear.
Her deep black velvet gown, embroidered with gold knots, was pristine as ever. The ivory half-mask rested elegantly upon her face. Yet dark red stains marked the lower hem of her dress and speckled one sleeve.
Fresh blood.
No one at the table commented.
She walked to the head of the table and sat down with effortless authority. Crossing her legs, she removed her gloves one finger at a time and placed them neatly beside her.
Then she extended her hand toward one of the seated men.
"Report."
The man swallowed hard before beginning.
"The opium sales in the Suddenland region have increased by five percent, although…"
Valeria tilted her head slightly.
"Although?" she prompted.
"Although," he continued, voice tightening, "a new competitor has begun distributing cheaper product through the southern ports and docks."
A faint pause settled over the table.
Valeria rested her chin lightly against her fingers.
"Competitor" she repeated softly.
"Yes, my lady. Their shipments arrive without inspection. Someone within the authority is cooperating with them."
A thin silence stretched, strech out amongst the men, as Valeria's amber eye flicked across the table, scanning each face like a blade testing for weakness.
"And profits?" she asked.
"Still rising," the man replied quickly. "Even with the competition, we remain dominant."
"Dominant," she echoed.
She leaned back in her chair.
"Then this competitor is not a threat. It is a just message."
The men exchanged uneasy glances.
Valeria tapped one finger lightly against the wooden table.
"Find out who is funding them."
"Yes, my lady."
"And their cooperator?"
"We are still investigating, my lady"
Her eye narrowed slightly.
"You have three days."
The man's face paled.
"Yes, my lady."
She reached for a glass of wine already poured and took a slow sip, leaving a faint red mark against the rim.
"Next."
Another council member cleared his throat.
"Most of our river shipping routes are secured. However, there has been an increase in river-pirate activity."
"Hire them," she said without hesitation.
The man blinked. "My lady?"
"Buy them. If they refuse, hang their captains in port as decoration."
Her voice never rose, she might as well have been discussing weather.
The room remained perfectly still.
"Understood," the man replied quickly.
Valeria's gaze drifted briefly toward the blood on her sleeve. She regarded it as one might notice spilled ink.
Then she spoke again, now with an exciting tone.
"And what of the investment in Vindia?"
A few of the men shifted uncomfortably, until one finally answered.
"The expenditures are enormous, but the projected military power promise unprecedented returns, as report by your lady's advisor"
"And the man?" she asked.
"Lord Victor continues his work without pause, even Mrs.Elena compliment him."
A faint, almost imperceptible curve touched her lips beneath the mask.
"Good, someone get him a gift by the end of this week, as expensive as possible."
She set her wine glass down gently, as her eyes scanning the room.
"Gentlemen," she said calmly, "if any of you are concerned about my personal affairs, I assure you that I do not invest emotionally..."
No one dared to speak.
"...I invest strategically, Mr.Victor is a good one."
A quiet understanding spread across the table as she leaned forward slightly, hands folded.
"Hyfelt will soon become unstable. When it does, we will be positioned at the center of its transformation."
Her single visible eye glinted like molten amber.
"And when the old order collapses, we will own the pieces."
The men nodded obediently.
-----
Meanwhile, at the far northern borderlands of the kingdom, where endless steppe met dark tundra forests, stood the domain of the great Marquise House of Ursun.
The Grand Fiefdom of "Euraska" was a vast and frigid frontier, a land of biting winds and long winters. It possessed little wealth in gold. What it did possess were countless poor and unfortunate serfs, scattered sparsely across the wilderness in fragile wooden villages, forever at the mercy of nature and beastmen raiders alike.
At the southern edge of its territory, where the climate was somewhat gentler, stood the regional capital of Ursunia. The city rose from the frostbitten earth in a strange fusion of Eastern European and Neo-Byzantine architecture. Onion domes crowned redbrick towers. Golden icons shimmered atop cathedral spires. Arched windows reflected midday sunlight.
At the center of the city stood a massive palace-like mansion of redbrick and broad domes.
Its official name was long and ceremonial.
But the people simply called it the "Bear's Den".
Upon one of its wide balconies stood Arina.
She wore same courtly gown of frost-blue silk as she did at the dinner, around her shoulders rested a white fox fur scarf, pristine and luminous against the blue fabric. It softened her silhouette, framing her fair face with a touch of warmth amid the cool tones, as her short ginger hair swirling gently in the mid day wind.
Below, a crowd of commoners filled the square.
They cheered, waved and even called her name.
Arina lifted her hand and waved back with bright enthusiasm, her movements lively and energetic. The wind caught strands of her hair as she leaned slightly over the balcony rail.
Her face was so soft and youthful, that's when she smiled, her eyes curved gently, and her cheeks rounded in a way that made her look less like a ruler and more like a beloved mascot.
A small bear cub ruling a frozen land.
"My dear people of Ursunia and all of Euraska!" she called out, her voice surprisingly clear despite her size.
The crowd quieted down almost instantly.
"I know the winters have been harsh. I know the harvest has not been kind."
She placed both hands over her chest, expression earnest.
"But we are strong as the great bear, are we not?"
A roar of agreement rose from below.
She beamed, stepping forward slightly.
"In the land of Vindia, new opportunities await. Workshops are being built, an army is rising. Those who sign up will earn wages, warm meals, and prostpect of future!"
She tilted her head slightly, the movement almost playful.
"For yourselves."
A pause.
"For your families."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
"If you wish to change your future," she continued gently, "if you wish your children to grow without hunger…"
She clasped her hands together.
"Then take this chance."
Her smile widened, radiant and innocent.
"Trust me."
It was not the commanding tone of a general, nor was it distant voice of nobility.
It was warm, Inviting and most importantly "Adorable"
The crowd erupted in cheers, shouted her name with genuine affection as recruitment officers at the edge of the square began guiding volunteers toward registration tables and some even traight to the traveling wagon.
Arina waved both hands energetically.
"Thank youuu!" she called out in a bright cheerful voice.
The crowd cheered even louder.
She gave one final enthusiastic wave before turning and walking back into the interior of the Bear's Den.
The balcony doors closed behind her as the cheering faded into a muffled echo.
Her shoulders dropped and a heavy sigh escaped her lips.
"All this for you, my darling…"
Her expression softened as she mind imagined Victor standing before her, praising her efforts. In her mind, he smiled with approval, reaching out gently. She leaned closer in the fantasy, waiting for the kiss that would reward her loyalty.
"My lady."
The voice shattered the image.
One of her armored knights stood a respectful distance away, kneeling.
She blinked once, the softness in her eyes vanishing like mist under sunlight.
"Yes?" she asked calmly.
"There have been reports of bandits near the western villages."
Her expression did not change.
"Bandits?"
"Yes, my lady. They are stealing food. Small groups. Likely starving peasants acting together."
A brief silence followed.
"Just execute them," she said plainly.
The knight hesitated only a fraction of a second.
"Yes, my lady."
As he rose and departed to carry out her order, Arina's face shifted once more. The gentle smile returned, faint and dreamy as she closed her eyes and resumed her earlier imagination.